Here is the wording from Article 7, Section a, part 2 where the league lists players who qualify as defenseless: A receiver running a pass route when the defender approaches from the side or behind. If the receiver becomes a blocker or assumes a blocking posture, he is no longer a defenseless player.

Sherman clearly meets the qualifications as someone who is running a pass route and Burfict pretty clearly approaches him from the side. Smith has already released the ball and Burfict (top right) isn't thinking about anything other than putting Sherman in the ground.

He's an important player for the Bengals, though, so it's good news for them that he'll be eligible to return for their Week 4 game against the Browns. Still, it's worth noting that the Bengals won't just be without Burfict at the beginning of the season, but also cornerback Adam Jones, who is suspended for the first game of the year.

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Sean Wagner-McGough joined CBS Sports in 2015 after graduating from UC Berkeley. A native of Seattle, Sean now resides in the Bay Area. He spends his spare time defending Jay Cutler on Twitter.
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